This article tells us about new archeological evidence from late 2nd century that proves Christians worshipped Jesus as God. A prayer found in mosaics in a Christian worship hall in Israel names a benefactor called Gaianus who is described as a centurion. Another mentions a woman called Akeptous who ‘…offered this table in memorial of the God Jesus Christ’…” Because the inscription is part of a mosaic benefactor’s inscription it reveals a belief that is well established and beyond controversy.... Read more

…in which I’ll catch the conscience of the King. What, you mean, dear readers, that you are unaware of the Catholic subtext of Hamlet? The theory goes like this: Shakespeare was secretly a recusant Catholic. Under Elizabeth’s strict penal laws he could lose everything by being openly Catholic. For the full and best argument on this read Joseph Pearce’s excellent new book, The Quest for Shakespeare  The Catholic reading of Shakespeare goes like this: Denmark is a Protestant kingdom taken over... Read more

I just finished watching Zefferelli’s Hamlet with Mel Gibson in the title role.  It’s actually pretty impressive. The script editors have taken great liberties with the text, not only cutting large chunks, but putting some speeches in other scenes to move things along and make it all more intelligible. I don’t have a problem with this. It works well, and the overall effect helps drive the story along and increase the dramatic tension. The whole cast is excellent, but Glenn Close’s... Read more

Here’s an observation by a friend that links abortion with the financial crisis: As the baby boomers got rich they invested wildly in housing. Not only did they buy a house to live in. They wanted to buy a beach house, a lake house, and houses to rent to other people. The housing market boomed with the confident assumption that there would always be a wonderful housing market, and that more and more people would want larger and larger houses.... Read more

Here is my latest article for InsideCatholic on the current economic crisis. Read more

Pornographer and champion of filth (whoops, I was meant to say free speech wasn’t I?) Larry Flynt has filmed a sick dirty movie with a Sarah Palin lookalike as star. Doubtless this will be received by the liberal press with mild approbation if any disapproval at all. But let’s imagine a right wing film maker shot a rap, porn music video with a Barack Obama lookalike wearing rapper gear, lots of bling, toting a gun and talking dirty. Just imagine... Read more

Here’s my latest article for National Catholic Register. It describes the history and necessity of sacrifice, and why we should view the Mass as sacrifice. Here’s the link. See what you think. Read more

Sarah Palin delivered a charismatic, exciting and professionally polished speech at the Republican National Convention. Out on the campaign trail she draws tens of thousands and delivers invigorating, fresh speeches with plenty of time away from the teleprompter to respond and ‘go live.’ In the live debate she held her own. She was articulate, polished, poised and confident. In her recorded television interview with Sean Hannity she came across just fine. Yet in her recorded television interviews with Katie Couric... Read more

Fr Ray Blake has an interesting update on the re-internment of the remains of soon to be Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman. Read more

I don’t know if I told this one before: My sister met a missionary once who felt called to minister to the tribes of Burma. Burma was then, as now, pretty much a closed country and foreigners were not welcome–especially foreign missionaries. This fellow would cross the border through the jungle and try to meet up with the nomadic tribes and share the gospel with them before going back to safety across the border. One time he was caught by... Read more